Written Answers of 23 April 1999

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Freemasons (CPS)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 22 March 1999,Official Report, column 2, on membership of the freemasons within the CPS, what was the total number of lawyers invited to declare their masonic status; and if he will break down the total between (a) masons, (b) non-masons, (c) those who refused to indicate their status and (d) those from whom no reply was received. [81794]

  The Attorney-General
  Disclosure forms were sent in September last year to 2,097 lawyers. Nine declared that they are freemasons (although two of these declared themselves to be lapsed members); 1,096 declared that they are not freemasons; 133 declined to make a declaration; and 859 did not return the form.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres
  Mr. Salter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she intends to publish Sir Louis Blom-Cooper's Sixth Annual Report as Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres.[82305]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  I have today arranged for copies of Sir Louis Blom-Cooper's Annual Report for 1998 to be placed in the Library.

  I welcome the Report and am glad to note that, again, the Commissioners have found nothing untoward in the care and treatment of detainees held in the custody of uniformed officers of the RUC.

  The Government and the Chief Constable of the RUC look forward to the day when the Holding Centres are no longer needed; I keep the position under regular review, in conjunction with the Chief Constable.

  Meantime, I have reappointed Sir Louis and Dr. Bill Norris as Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner respectively. The reappointments will run from 1 April 1999 nominally until 30 September 2000, subject to review.

  I am grateful to Sir Louis and Bill Norris for their work. I shall study their recommendations carefully and respond as soon as possible.

  Pre-school Places (Disabled Children)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what priority will be given to children with disability in the allocation of pre-school places. [81417]
  700
  Mr. McFall
  Under new admissions arrangements which are being introduced from September 1999 as part of our Pre-School Education Expansion Programme, my Department has encouraged schools to continue the traditional practice of allocating nursery places for children with special needs, including disability, in each session within their approved pre-school enrolment number. In addition, children with Statements of Special Educational Needs can be admitted to nursery schools and classes over and above the school's pre-school enrolment number, based on the advice of Education and Library Boards.

  Liver Disease
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children has a gastroenterology service to care for patients with liver disease. [81497]

  Mr. McFall
  The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children does not presently provide a gastroenterology service but the position is under review. However, a visiting outpatient (outreach) service is available at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children by a team based at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Gastroenterology clinics are held monthly and liver clinics held quarterly.

  Biliary Atresia
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of biliary atresia have been identified in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [81496]

  Mr. McFall
  The number of deaths and discharges from hospitals in Northern Ireland where the primary diagnosis was congenital biliary atresia during the last five years are given in Table 1.

  Table 1 Deaths and discharges from hospitals in Northern Ireland where the primary diagnosis was congenital biliary atresia

  Year

  Number of deaths and discharges

  1997–98

  2

  1996–97

  8

  1995–96

  18

  1994–95

  19

  1993–94

  10

  Source:

  Hospital Inpatients System

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Kasai operations have been carried out by the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children on babies suffering from biliary atresia each year for each of the last five years; how many such procedures have been successful; and how many children on whom the procedure has been used are alive with their own livers. [81495]

  Mr. McFall
  One kasai operation was performed in each of the years 1994, 1995 and 1996 with three operations carried out in 1997 and two in 1998. All eight children who have had kasai operations are alive. Two of these children have subsequently had liver transplants and a third is on the transplant waiting list. Six of the eight children are currently alive with their own livers.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Kosovar Albanians
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money the Government have made available to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for emergency relief to the Kosovar Albanians. [81903]

  Clare Short
  Between April 1998 and March 1999, the Government allocated £1.5 million to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for emergency relief in Kosovo and the region. In recent weeks, we have focused on providing practical assistance to UNHCR to strengthen its in-country capacity and facilitate the movement of relief supplies into the region. Since 30 March, we have provided UNHCR with 22 airlifts to Skopje and Tirana for relief goods and personnel, and a convoy of five trucks and drivers has arrived in Tirana to support their relief operations in Albania. At UNHCR's request, we have sent specialist personnel and equipment to Tirana airport to help handle the relief flights, and we are providing a similar package for Skopje. We have also offered to provide public information and security specialists to support UNHCR's operations in the region.

  Refugee Fund Supplies (Macedonia)
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the food supplied to the Albanian refugees in Macedonia is purchased within Macedonia; and what plans she has to enable the proportion to be increased. [81924]

  Clare Short
  Our policy is to support the procurement of local goods and services where this is possible, cost effective, and when it would not harm the local economy or reduce access of the local host population to essential supplies. Detailed information about food purchases by international agencies in Macedonia is not currently available.

SCOTLAND

  Fishing
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is his estimate of the value of each salmon taken by an angler visiting Scotland to the Scottish economy in each of the last 10 years; [81220]

  (2) what is his estimate of the value of salmon angling to the economy of Scotland in each of the last 10 years; and of this how much in each year represents spending by visitors from outside Scotland. [81221]

  Mr. Macdonald
  Information on the amount spent by visiting anglers is not held centrally. However, a survey published in 1991 by Portsmouth Polytechnic's Centre for Marine Resource Economics estimated that the net economic value of rod fisheries in Scotland lay within the range of £198 million to £300 million, with a best estimate of £225 million. The "Scottish Salmon Strategy Task Force" report, published in 1997, uprated these 702
  figures to produce an estimate for 1995 values of a range from £270 million to £430 million, with a best estimate of £350 million.

  From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of(a) salmon and grilse and (b) sea trout eaten per seal in Scottish waters in each of the last 10 years. [81218]

  Mr. Macdonald
  Recent studies in the rivers Dee and Don suggest that common seals may eat several hundred salmonids per annum. However, extrapolation from these observations to calculate consumption per seal over the last 10 years is difficult as consumption rates and composition are likely to have changed.

  Studies on the impact of seals on salmonid stocks are ongoing in the rivers Tay and Conon.

  From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

  Seals
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the minimum number of(a) grey seals and (b) common seals required to maintain a viable population in Scottish waters. [81216]

  Mr. Macdonald
  The minimum number required to maintain a viable population will vary according to a range of factors. Advice in 1998 from the Natural Environment Council's Special Committee on seals indicated that there is evidence that the rate of increase in pup production in some grey seal colonies has been slowing down, although it is too early to predict equilibrium sizes. Common seal populations have recovered from the viral outbreak in the 80s which reduced numbers dramatically, but are nevertheless more dependent upon changes in local prey abundance than grey seals.

  From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

CABINET OFFICE

  Teenage Pregnancies
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to publish the Social Exclusion Unit report into teenage pregnancies. [81968]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister plans to publish the report shortly.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Genetically Modified Crops
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of ways in which the biotechnology industry could use less exacting regulatory systems elsewhere in the EU in order to gain legal rights
  703
  within the UK for (a) field trials (b) commercial growing and (c) produce distribution in respect of genetically modified crops. [81076]

  Mr. Meacher
  The regulatory control of the release and marketing of GMOs is governed throughout the EC by Directive 90/220/EEC. This has been transposed into UK law through Part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992, as amended 1995 and 1997. All Member States are required to implement the Directive fully.

  The Committee of Competent Authorities for the Directive meets regularly to exchange information on implementation with a view to securing even application of the Directive throughout the EC. Therefore the regulatory systems in all EU member states should operate to similar standards.

  All consents for GMO releases for the purposes of research, such as field trials, are issued at national level. For any field trial to be carried out in the UK, a consent must be issued by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

  The commercial growing and distribution of GM produce require specific consents to be issued at the Community level under Directive 90/220/EEC. All Member States participate and can raise objections in this decision-making process. Once an approval has been issued, it may be used throughout the Community, provided any specific conditions on use or on types of environment and geographical areas for release are complied with.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish(a) an updated version of Table 1 of Appendix 4 of the report of the European Communities Committee of the House of Lords of Session 1997–98 (HL 11-I p57–8) concerning the regulation of genetic modifications in agriculture, stating in addition, in respect of each application, the policy of Her Majesty's Government and (b) a similar list of applications considered by (i) the EU Commission and (ii) a Council Committee, which were disapproved. [73721]

  Mr. Meacher
  An updated version of the table is available on my Department's website. The volume of information requested is such that I will send my hon. Friend a copy of the table that includes the additional information requested.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the occasions in(a) the Regulatory Committee of the European Commission and (b) the Council of Ministers when approval for genetically modified crops for (1) experimental and (2) commercial purposes was granted; when the representatives of the United Kingdom (A) expressed disapproval of any such application and (B) (i) voted against and (ii) abstained, on any occasion when approval for that application has been obtained by qualified majority of opinion, together with the nature and origin of the application concerned. [73722]

  Mr. Meacher
  Approvals for experimental releases of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are determined nationally.
  704
  To date, only one application to place GMOs on the market has been given approval where the UK authority objected. The case, under Part C of Directive 90/220/EEC, concerned a genetically modified maize modified for insect resistance and herbicide tolerance. The UK had no objection to the marketing of this product for seed production but voted against its unrestricted use as proposed by the Commission. Full details are contained in the table referred to in my reply to my hon. Friend given today.

  A30 (Woodleigh Junction)
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when work will commence on the A30 Woodleigh Junction. [81967]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Subject to the successful completion of the remaining statutory procedures, work on the A30 Woodleigh Junction Improvement could start early next year.

  Road Building
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many road building schemes using the design, build, finance and operate contracting method are currently(a) completed and (b) under construction; what is the estimated cost to public funds for each project over the life time of the DBFO contract; and if he will make a statement. [81897]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Eight DBFO contracts encompassing 11 trunk road schemes have been awarded and 10 of the schemes are now open to traffic. The A30 Honiton-Exeter Improvement scheme which forms part of the A30/A35 Exeter to Bere Regis project is still under construction.

  The estimated cost of each project over the lifetime of the contract is represented by the Net Present Value (NPV) range of the shadow tolls. The actual payments are dependent on traffic volumes on the road. The published details are as follows:

  £ million

  Project

  NPV range

  M1-A1

  186 to 281

  A419/A417

  106 to 124

  A69

  58 to 66

  A19

  125 to 149

  A30/A35

  129 to 158

  A50

  58 to 72

  M40

  155 to 210

  Al(M)

  138 to 165

  Regional Development Agencies
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which chairpersons, chief executives and board members of the regional development agencies have since 1979(a) had a political affiliation with a party, and which one, (b) donated more than £1,000 to a political party, and to which one, (c) donated more than £1,000 to persons in a political party, and to whom, and (d) have confirmed that (i) they and (ii) the companies they represent have had no off-shore funds; and if he will make a statement. [81922]
  705
  Mr. Caborn
  Political allegiance played a part in the appointment process only in the case of the local authority members on the Boards of the regional development agencies (RDAs). The table provides details.

  Donations made to a political party or to persons in a political party are a personal matter for the individual. The Chairmen, Board Members and Chief Executives of the RDAs have not been asked to declare any such donations.

  RDA Members are required to declare and register an interest in an off-shore fund only if that interest is relevant to their Board responsibilities. No such declarations of interest have been made.

  (a) RDA Board Members who are local authority councillors

  Region

  Council

  Political affiliation

  Eastern RDA

  Sal Brinton

  Cambridgeshire Country Council

  Liberal Democrat

  Peter Martin

  Essex Country Council

  Conservative

  Chris Mole

  Suffolk Country Council

  Labour

  Jacqueline Russell

  Welwyn and Hatfield District Council

  Labour

  East Midlands RDA

  Ted Cassidy

  Leicester City Council

  Labour

  Graham Chapman

  Nottingham City Council

  Labour

  Martin Doughty

  Derbyshire Country Council

  Labour

  Gillian Gardiner

  Leicesstershire Country council

  Liberal Democrat

  North East RDA

  Philip Hughes

  Teesdale District Council

  Independent

  John McCormack

  Wansbeck District Council

  Labour

  Rita Stringfellow

  North Tyneside Council

  Labour

  John Williams

  Darlington Borough Council

  Labour

  North West RDA

  Mike Doyle

  St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

  Labour

  Richard Leese

  Manchester City Council

  Labour

  Kath Reade

  Burnley Borough Council

  Labour

  Dr. Fred Ridley

  Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

  Liberal Democrat

  South East RDA

  Ken Bodfish

  Brighton and Hove Council

  Labour

  Winifred Oliver

  Mole Valley District Council

  Conservative

  David Rogers

  East Sussex Council

  Liberal Democrat

  Kevin Wilson

  Milton Keynes Council

  Labour

  South West RDA

  Doris Ansari

  Cornwall County Council

  Liberal Democrat

  Peter Chalke

  Wiltshire County Council

  Conservative

  Tudor Evans

  Plymouth City Council

  Labour

  Helen Holland

  Bristol City Council

  Labour

  West Midlands RDA

  Michael Bird

  Walsall Council

  Conservative

  Albert Bore

  Brimingham City Council

  Labour

  David Sparks

  Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

  Labour

  Susan Davis

  Telford and Wrekin District Council

  Labour

  706

  (a) RDA Board Members who are local authority councillors

  Region

  Council

  Political affiliation

  Yorkshire and Humber RDA

  Muriel Barker

  North East Lincolnshire Council

  Labour

  Stephen Houghton

  Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

  Labour

  Michael Johnston

  Harrogate Council

  Liberal Democrat

  Pamela Warhurst

  Calderdale Council

  Labour

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Atlantic Frontier
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from whom he received advice concerning the possible inclusion of the Atlantic Frontier on the list of World Heritage sites to be put forward to UNESCO; what the advice was; and what the reasons were for not including the Atlantic Frontier in his list. [81618]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The responsibility for considering this suggestion rested with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. My right hon. Friend was advised by Scottish Natural Heritage that the data presented by Greenpeace were weak, particularly in respect of cetaceans, where the distribution claimed tended simply to reflect recording effort. The UK continental shelf proposal will be reconsidered when the tentative list is reviewed in five years' time.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantities of plutonium contaminated wastes were(a) stored and (b) disposed of at (i) Sellafield and (ii) Dounray in each of the last three years. [81498]

  Mr. Battle
  These are matters for BNFL and the UKAEA respectively, and I have asked the chairman of each organisation to write to my hon. Friend with the information he requires and to place a copy of his reply in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what notice is given to other states of the shipment from the United Kingdom of cargoes of(a) high-level radioactive waste, (b) plutonium and (c) MOX nuclear fuel. [81945]

  Mr. Battle
  We are not required to give any notice of such shipments. To date, there have been no shipments by sea from the UK of High Level Waste. However, in the case of shipments by sea of High Level Waste from France to Japan undertaken by BNFL as transport operator, it has been our practice since 1996 routinely to inform coastal states, both on and off route, in advance and on a confidential basis. We intend to continue with this practice in the case of the forthcoming sea shipment of MOX fuel from Sellafield, consistent with our international obligations to protect information about the movement of sensitive nuclear materials. As far as I am
  707
  aware, there have been no shipments of civil separated plutonium by sea from the United Kingdom since the late 1970s. Shipments by air from the United Kingdom of nuclear materials are carried out fully in accordance with our obligations under national and international aviation regulations.

  Genetically Modified Foods
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings(a) he and (b) the Minister for Science have held to discuss genetically modified foods. [70439]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 11 February 1999]: Neither I nor my noble Friend the Minister for Science have held any meetings specifically to discuss genetically modified food policy.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the preparedness of the insurance industry to provide the relevant professional indemnity insurance to consultants employed on millennium compliance projects. [80056]

  Ms Hewitt
  I have been asked to reply.

  None. It is for insurers themselves to decide whether they are prepared to offer cover.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Ministerial Meetings (US)
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 18 March 1999,Official Report, column 793, how many times Ministers in his Department met their counterparts in the US Administration between 1 January 1998 and 1 June 1998, indicating the dates and locations of each meeting, the Ministers involved and the name of the US counterpart. [80829]

  Mr. Timms
  None.

  Professional Statisticians
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many staff who have worked as professional statisticians in his Department and its predecessors have left on early retirement in each of the past 10 years. [81177]

  Mr. Timms
  One statistician from this Department has taken early retirement in the last nine years. Information is available only going back nine years.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many staff by grade are employed as professional statisticians in his Department; how many of these staff have been accepted as fast stream by the Civil Service Selection Board; and how many have been granted chartered statistician status by the Royal Statistical Society. [81199]
  708
  Mr. Timms
  Statistical work is undertaken by a range of specialists such as Research Officers, Social Survey Officers and Economists. Within this Department, there are three Senior Civil Servants, one Grade 6, 16 Grade 7s, and 16 Assistant Statisticians employed as "professional" Statisticians, all of whom have been recruited via Civil Service Selection Board. In addition, our Department employs seven Statistical Officers.

  Our records do not show which of the Departmental statisticians have been granted chartered statistician status by the Royal Statistical Society.

  Note:

  These figures do not include any staff who are not in post for example on career breaks or secondments.

  Performance-related Pay
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Benefits Agency staff have their pay linked to performance in respect of (i) benefit clearance times, (ii) benefit accuracy, (iii) weekly benefit savings from detected fraud and (iv) any performance measurements. [81695]

  Mr. Timms
  The administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Peter Mathison. I have asked him to write to my right hon. Friend.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Frank Field, dated 22 April 1999:

  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many Benefits Agency staff has their pay linked to performance in respect of (i) benefit clearance times, (ii) benefit accuracy, (iii) weekly benefit savings from detected fraud and (iv) any performance measurements.

  Under the current Benefits Agency Performance Pay Scheme a proportion of an officers pay is determined by their annual performance appraisal rating. Appraisal ratings are determined by two factors:
  success in meeting up to six key work objectives and

  the demonstration of a number of competencies, for example communication skills reasoning and intellect, and resource management.

  Each year, key work objectives are agreed by an officer and their line manager. Benefit clearance times, benefit accuracy, weekly benefit savings from detected fraud, and other performance measures, may appear within one or more of the key work objectives.

  Unfortunately specific information of the numbers of staff who have one or more of these measures included in their key work objectives is only available at disproportionate cost.

  I am sorry that, on this occasion, I could not be of more help.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of prosecutions were successful(a) of all prosecutions for benefit fraud, (b) of prosecutions for benefit fraud under the Theft Acts and (c) of prosecutions for benefit fraud under the Social Security Acts, in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 1998–99. [81698]
  709
  Mr. Timms
  Benefits Agency operational matters are the responsibility of the Chief Executive, Peter Mathison, I have asked him to reply to my right hon. Friend.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Frank Field, dated 22 April 1999:

  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking what proportion of prosecutions were successful (a) of all prosecutions for benefit fraud, (b) of prosecutions for benefit fraud under the Theft Acts and (c) of prosecutions for benefit fraud under the Social Security Acts, in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 1998–99.

  The attached table, Table 1, provides the requested information for prosecutions successfully concluded by the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service (BFIS) and the Benefit Agency Security and Investigation Service (BASIS) in England and Wales.

  An average of 5–10% of cases brought to court are withdrawn, acquitted, dismissed or found not applicable. This accounts for the number of successful prosecutions being less than 100%. BASIS prosecutes under various Acts in addition to the two referred to above, for example the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act.

  I am unable to give you the information in the format requested for Scotland as the Procurator Fiscal is not obliged to provide information to the Agency about the legislation under which charges are brought or what those charges were. I have therefore given you the overall percentage of successful prosecutions by BFIS in Scotland. This is shown in Table 2.

  The Benefit Agency Security Investigation Service, in Scotland, was successful in prosecuting 100% of the cases submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in 1997/8. Figures available for 1998/9 indicate that BASIS in Scotland submitted and had accepted for prosecution 90 cases of which 25 have already been successfully concluded.

  I hope you find this helpful.

  Table 1: Percentage of successful prosecutions by the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service (BFIS) and the Benefit Agency Security and Investigation Service (BASIS) in England and Wales

  percentage

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  Sec 112 Social Security Administration Act

  95

  94

  91

  Theft Act

  90

  92

  94

  BASIS (serious fraud)

  90

  84

  82

  Total (BFIS & BASIS)

  94

  94

  91

  Source:

  BA Security Implementation & Support and BFIS

  Table 2: Percentage of prosecutions for Fraud by the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service (BFIS) in Scotland

  percentage

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  All BFIS cases

  99

  99

  98

  Source:

  BFIS

  Attendance and Disability Living Allowances
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will change the Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance rules which apply when someone is admitted to hospital. [82306]

  Mr. Bayley
  We propose to change the rules for Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) so that the day of admission to hospital is treated as a day out of hospital, in place of the existing rules which treat such a day as a day in hospital. This will mean that people who spend frequent spells in hospital,710
  eg for respite care, can gain an extra day's benefit. It will mean that the rules for AA/DLA will be brought into line with other Social Security benefits.

  Regulations governing the withdrawal and downrating of benefits on admission to hospital have existed since the beginning of the National Insurance scheme in 1948. The reduction in benefit reflects the fact that, in hospital, the National Health Service is providing free care and maintenance. Regulations currently do not define what is a day in, or a day out of hospital. This leads to uncertainty. Social Security Commissioners have taken varying positions over the years. This has resulted in differing rules being developed according to the type of benefit in payment, creating difficulties for both customers and staff.

  A Commissioner's decision made in 1996, which affected only AA and DLA, directed that both days of admission to, and days of discharge from hospital, should be treated as days in hospital. This means that benefit can now be lost on both the days of admission and discharge. For other Social Security benefits the current policy and practice is that the day of admission is treated as a day out of hospital and the day of discharge as a day in hospital.

  We have concluded that the best way forward, to avoid further inconsistencies and confusion, would be to align the AA and DLA rules on hospital admission with the rules for other Social Security benefits. For the avoidance of doubt, we will make it explicit within the legislation that the day of admission is a day out of hospital and the day of discharge a day in hospital. Regulations will be laid at the earliest opportunity.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  IND Offices, Croydon
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases there have been for the years(a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 to date of the IND offices in Croydon losing passports lodged with them. [81682]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Statistics relating to the number of passports lost in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate are not recorded centrally. Information kept centrally is in respect of the number of compensation claims dealt with as a result of maladministration, the majority of which will have arisen as a result of lost documents. The figures for the years since 1997 are as follows:

  Number

  1997

  41

  1998

  63

  1999 to date

  24

  Prison Service
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 January 1999,Official Report, column 556, if the Prison Service has completed the short review on recruitment to the Prison Service; and if he will publish the conclusions. [81637]
  711
  Mr. George Howarth
  The report of the review is nearing completion and will be submitted shortly to the Prison Service's director of personnel.

  The report is not being written with a view to publication, but it will inform discussions with senior managers about possible new policy initiatives.

  Asylum Seekers (Former Yugoslavia)
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider lifting visa requirements for those leaving the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. [81900]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  No; but where United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees have arranged for medical and humanitarian evacuation for evacuees from Kosovo, the normal visa requirements will be waived.

  Kosovar Albanians
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kosovar Albanians will be evacuated from Macedonia to the UK; what criteria will be used as to who will qualify; what protection they will receive, and for how long; and where they will be housed. [81902]

  Mr. Straw
  The primary aim of the Government is to care for refugees in the region, and to facilitate their return to Kosovo. We are working together with our European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation partners and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

  We have long made it clear that we stand ready to respond to requests from UNHCR to take vulnerable refugees from Kosovo on a temporary basis. We have agreed with UNHCR that any recommendations for evacuation from the region should be co-ordinated through the office of the UNHCR. UNHCR will assess the desirability of temporary protection in the United Kingdom, will give priority to medical cases, other vulnerable persons and in support of family unity and make recommendations to the Home Office for consideration.

  I announced on 20 April that arrangements had been agreed for the admission of 120 evacuees, mainly women and children, expected in the next few days. This decision was made following advice from UNHCR that the refugees were deemed to be vulnerable and in need of temporary protection outside the region.

  People arriving under the UNHCR programme will be granted permission to enter in line with close family members already settled in the United Kingdom or 12 months' exceptional leave to enter to provide for their protection as requested by UNHCR.

  I have tasked the Refugee Council with putting in place a special reception service for refugees arriving under the UNHCR programme. Under the plans, people will arrive in the United Kingdom through selected airports and will be placed in reception centres across the United Kingdom. The reception centres will be staffed by the Refugee Council and will provide temporary accommodation for refugees prior to their moving into more permanent
  712
  accommodation. The Refugee Council is liaising closely with local authorities through the Local Government Association.

  Freemasons
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken since 23 March to accelerate the process of establishing voluntary registers of membership of freemasonry in police forces in England and Wales; and how many police forces have now indicated that they have specific plans for introducing such registers.[81792]

  Mr. Boateng
  On 1 April, the Home Office wrote at official level to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) requesting that ACPO write to each Chief Constable in England and Wales to ask them to set up voluntary, internal registers for their forces. ACPO duly wrote to each Chief Constable on 7 April. It is too early to say how many Chief Constables will set up such registers. However, an earlier ACPO survey of Chief Constables' views indicated that the overwhelming majority of Chief Constables supported in principle their creation.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 23 March 1999,Official Report, columns 177–78, when he now expects numerical data on freemasons within the police and other parts of the criminal justice system to be available. [81793]

  Mr. Boateng
  As soon as the voluntary internal registers which all Chief Constables in England and Wales have been asked by the Association of Chief Police Officers to put in place have been established, we will be able to make available for statistical purposes such numerical data as these registers reveal, on an ongoing basis. We anticipate that the first useful information will be available by October this year.

  Arrangements for other categories of occupation under Home Office responsibility, including release of data for statistical purposes, will be determined once the internal registration arrangements for the Police Service have been set up and are in operation.

  Police Authorities
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the proportion of elected representatives on police authorities in England; and if he will make a statement. [81849]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Government have no plans to change the proportion of elected representatives on police authorities. The elected representatives (councillor members appointed by local councils) have a majority of one over the combined total of magistrate members and independent members. I am satisfied that these non-elected members have skills and experience which are of benefit to police authorities. Police authorities have been established in their present form only since 1995, and some of them have had to re-form themselves as a result of local government reorganisation. I do not think it would be helpful to subject them to further change at this time.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Secondary School Admissions
  Mrs. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many representations he has received from parents in Havering concerning secondary school admission for September; [81610]

  (2) what powers he has under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to require admission authorities to take part in consultation over secondary school admission arrangements with the local education authority; [81611]

  (3) what powers he has under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to ensure that, in cases where a local education authority operates catchment areas for secondary school admission, all primary schools within the local education authority fall within a catchment area. [81612]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  To date, we have received 25 letters from parents in Havering not offered their preferred secondary school place for September 1999. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State could intervene only in an admissions issue where he is satisfied that a local education authority or governing body has acted unlawfully or "unreasonably", that is, in a way which no sensible authority or governing body would have acted. Our investigation of these complaints found no grounds for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's intervention.

  Academic year (age as at 31 August)

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  15

  14

  13

  15

  14

  13

  15

  14

  13

  London

  329

  564

  435

  395

  607

  473

  366

  590

  435

  South East

  332

  466

  297

  397

  531

  321

  391

  480

  412

  Professional Statisticians
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many staff who have worked as professional statisticians in his Department and its predecessors have left on early retirement in each of the past 10 years. [81186]

  Mr. Mudie
  The number of "professional statisticians" who have left on early retirement in the last 10 years is five, including one medical retirement.

  Year

  Number

  1994

  2

  1996

  2

  1997

  1

  "Professional statisticians" have been defined as those staff who were recruited as fast streamers to the Statistician Group via CSSB.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many staff by grade are employed as professional statisticians in his Department; how many of these staff
  have been accepted
  714
  Section 89 of the 1998 Act and its accompanying regulations place a new requirement on all admission authorities in an area to determine their admission arrangements in consultation with each other, taking account of local circumstances. Where an admission authority disagrees with another's proposed admission arrangements, it can object to the Adjudicator. We believe that school admissions arrangements are best determined at local level. Havering local education authority is responsible for consulting on and determining the arrangements for all county schools. The 1998 Act also requires my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to issue a code of practice on admissions. The School Admission Code of Practice, which came into force on 1 April 1999, offers guidance on all aspects of the school admissions process, including consultation.

  Under the 1998 Act and the Code, it is for admission authorities to decide on their admission arrangements—including whether to operate catchment areas and what those areas should be—subject to consultation, and to the results of any complaint to the Adjudicator.

  School Expulsions
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many year 11, 10 and 9 pupils were expelled from schools in London and the South East over the last three years and for the first quarter of 1999. [81169]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The information is not available in the form requested. However, the number of permanent exclusions for pupils aged 13, 14 and 15 is shown in the following table.

  as fast stream by the Civil Service Selection Board; and how many have been granted chartered statistician status by the Royal Statistical Society. [81206]

  Mr. Mudie
  Statistical work is undertaken by a range of specialists including Research Officers, Social Survey Officers and Economists. Within this Department, there are 6 Senior Civil Servants, 25 Grade 7s and 16 Assistant Statisticians employed as "professional" statisticians. In addition, our Department employs 6 Statistical Officers.

  "Professional statistician" has been defined as those staff who were recruited as fast streamers to the Statistician Group via CSSB. By this definition it follows that all of those staff have been accepted as fast streamers.

  Of those listed, 1 member of the SCS and 4 Grade 7s have been granted chartered statistician status by the RSS.

  Consultations (Postal Costs)
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will pay the postal costs of voluntary bodies and registered charities requested to respond to Government consultation documents; and if he will make a statement. [80923]
  715
  Mr. Mudie
  The Department follows the Cabinet Office best practice guidance on consultations. We seek to make it as easy as possible for people to respond and will always consider providing a freepost address for responses to large-scale consultations involving the general public and the voluntary sector. We also make increasing use of dedicated email addresses which offer a very low cost alternative to postal responses.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Dr. Vis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the value was of the(a) funds administered by the TECs and (b) overheads of the TECs in the last year for which figures are available. [81882]

  Mr. Mudie
  Based on the 1997–98 consolidated annual statutory audited accounts of 73 English TECs, the value of the government funds administered by the TECs was £1,455 million and overheads of the TECs were £178 million.

  Personal Advisers
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what (i) general training is provided for personal advisers on New Deals and (ii) specific training is provided for personal advisers assisting(a) young people, (b) lone parents, (c) people with disabilities and (d) older people. [77541]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 23 April 1999:

  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply direct to your question regarding; (i) the general training provided for personal advisers on New Deal and (ii) specific training provided for personal advisers assisting (a) young people, (b) lone parents, (c) people with disabilities and (d) older people. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  All Employment Service staff, including Personal Advisers, have access to a comprehensive range of training covering all the knowledge and skills they need to do their job. The amount of training a Personal Adviser will require is dependent on their role and responsibilities, their previous experience and their existing level of knowledge and skills.

  As an indication only, if a person was recruited to undertake basic advisory duties and had no previous knowledge of Employment Service business, they would require a minimum of 23 days training to be considered as having a basic level of competence. However, this does not include consolidation, assimilation and experience, all of which are crucial elements of the development of advisory knowledge and skills. This training includes job-broking, communication, interviewing and caseload management skills, knowledge of Employment Legislation, Jobseeker's Allowance and other benefits, including In-Work Benefits, Employment and Training Opportunities and the use of our IT systems.

  In addition to the general training, if Advisers were to undertake specialist Advisory duties, for example, New Deal Adviser for People with Disabilities, they would require anything between 2 days and 6 weeks further training.

  I will deal with the training provided for the specific types of New Deal Personal Advisers in the order that you have raised them.
  716
  a]Young People: 18–24 years

  The general training described above gives the Personal Advisers the skills and knowledge to deal with this client group.

  d] Lone Parents

  In addition to the basic level of training detailed above, which Advisers have before attending a New Deal for Lone Parents Adviser training programme, Advisers are provided with an additional 27 days of training. This specific programme covers all the unique knowledge and skills required to understand and advise this particular client group. This includes:
  an overview of the issues and problems of lone parents (provided by external organisations NCOPF, Gingerbread & The Daycare Trust;)
  new business processes and cultural requirements;
  detailed benefits and allowances training;
  advanced interviewing, presentational, marketing & representational skills.

  c] People with Disabilities

  As before, the amount of training required will be dependent on an Adviser's previous experience and their current level of competence. If they have not previously been a Disability Employment Adviser they will need 5 weeks of training as described below—Block A and Block B. People who have already had the 3 week training for DEAs—Block A, would only need the 2 week New Deal specific event—Block B.

  Block A training includes:
  non-directive employment related counselling skills;
  issues and problems faced by people with new or long standing disabilities—delivered by external organisations;
  disability awareness, eg, mental health, learning disabilities, hearing and visual impairment, epileps—delivered by specialist speakers such as RNIB and RNID.

  Block B New Deal specific training includes:
  working in partnership and cultural requirements;
  employability measures and issues for gaining, retaining and sustaining employment;
  holistic approaches and medical conditions—provided by an external speaker;
  presentation and representational skills.

  d] Older People—25+

  New Deal Personal Advisers dealing with the 25+ age group would have an additional 2 day event including eligibility, client self-marketing, identifying and submitting to suitable vacancies/other provision and follow through.

  50+

  This is a new initiative. Work is currently being undertaken to establish the training needs of the Personal Advisers dealing with this group.

  You may also be interested to know that all training given to New Deal Personal Advisers has been designed to help them achieve an S/NVQ in Guidance.

  I hope this response covers all the information you wanted.

  New Deal (Young People)
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many employers participating in the New Deal for Young People have taken on from the scheme(a) 1 employee, (b) between 2 and 10 employees, (c) between 10 and 50 employees, (d) between 50 and 100 employees, (e) between 100 and 250 employees and (f) more than 250 employees. [79826]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 11 November 1998,Official Report, column 236.

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many employers participating in the New Deal for Young People who have not continued the employment of subsidised employees on the cessation of their subsidy, have subsequently taken on further subsidised employees. [79825]

  Employment option

  FTET option

  Voluntary sector option

  Environment task force

  January 1998

  —

  —

  —

  —

  February 1998

  —

  —

  —

  —

  March 1998

  1

  —

  —

  —

  April 1998

  9

  5

  —

  —

  May 1998

  11

  12

  1

  5

  June 1998

  10

  15

  5

  1

  July 1998

  31

  36

  13

  11

  August 1998

  65

  44

  13

  9

  September 1998

  83

  91

  30

  25

  October 1998

  150

  236

  77

  63

  November 1998

  137

  210

  69

  48

  December 1998

  176

  129

  61

  60

  January 1999

  246

  232

  116

  95

  Total

  919

  1,001

  385

  317

  State Schools (Expenditure)
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of GDP he expects to be spent on state schools across the UK in the years(a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000 and (c) 2000–01 as a result of the comprehensive spending review. [81899]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  We estimate that recurrent spending on state schools across the UK in 1998–99 will be approximately 2.9 per cent. of Gross Domestic Product. We are unable at this stage to offer a meaningful estimate of spending on state schools in 1999–2000 and 2000–01.

  The extra £19 billion across the UK over the next three years provided by the Comprehensive Spending Review for the education sector overall will deliver the manifesto commitment to increase the share of GDP spent on education from 4.8 per cent. in 1996–97 to 5 per cent. by 2001–02.

  FE College Principals (Retirement Packages)
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the compliance with the FEFC guidance on retirement
  718
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Material for employers, and guidance to staff of the Employment Service and its partners, on the operation of New Deal for Young People make it clear that it is not acceptable for employers to replace one New Deal employee and another for the purpose of perpetuating the subsidy. Jobcentre staff are advised to refer suspected cases to a central investigation unit: to date, none has been reported.

  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people left each New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds option for a sustained unsubsidised job for each month between January 1998 and January 1999. [81697]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 22 April 1999]: The information set out in the following table shows how many people left each of the four Options available through New Deal for Young People for jobs, in each month from January 1998 to January 1999 and had not returned to claim Jobseekers Allowance within three months. In addition to these, 41,140 young people have left for sustained unsubsidised employment from other stages of New Deal, and an additional 11,420 have entered sustained subsidised employment.

  financial arrangements for principals of tertiary colleges of the provision made for the recently retired Principal of Wirral Metropolitan College. [81210]

  Mr. Mudie
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State notes that the provision made for the recently retired Principal of Wirral Metropolitan College complies with the guidance issued by the FEFC.

DEFENCE

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was paid by his Department to each of the health trusts in which MDHUs operate for the treatment of military personnel in each of the last three years. [80572]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 13 April 1999]: The amounts, in £ million, paid to the three MDHU host NHS trusts for the treatment of military personnel in each of the last three years are shown in the following table. The sums shown are the net payment, taking into account

  719
  the abatement of charges for the contribution of military clinical staff serving in the MDHU to the treatment of Service patients.

  NHS Trust

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1 1998–99

  Plymouth Hospital (Derriford)

  1.485

  1.381

  1.645

  Frimley Park Hospital

  2.757

  3.328

  3.652

  Peterborough Hospitals

  2.036

  1.619

  1.964

  1 The sums shown for 1998–99 are estimates, based on forecast patient numbers for the year made in the light of numbers treated between April and December 1998. The final sums will not he known until patient numbers for the full financial year are available and a contract reconciliation exercise has been carried out. This is likely to take until June.

  RN Physiological Laboratory
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 24 March 1999, Official Report, columns 307–08, if he will list, by case, the experiments that have been performed on goats at the Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory in each of the last 12 months. [81633]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 23 April 1999:

  I have been asked to reply to your question about the former Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory (RNPL) which is now part of the Centre for Human Sciences (CHS) Sector of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).

  You asked for details, by case, of the experiments, involving goats that have been carried out in each of the last 12 months. All the work is aimed at reducing the risk of serious decompression illness in man following the evacuation of a sunken submarine. Prior to being used in an experiment, goats are familiarised with the experimental procedures and the vessels in which trials will take place. All experiments involve an exposure to raised pressure where the breathing gas is either air or an atmosphere that simulates a possible atmosphere that could be present on a disabled submarine, such as elevated carbon dioxide.

  At the end of the exposure to raised pressure the goats are returned to normorbaric pressure, either through decompression to surface, simulating rescue from a distressed submarine (rescue type exposure), or through a simulated submarine escape at the compression and decompression rates to which men have been exposed (escape type exposure). Oxygen breathing is known to decrease the risk of decompression illness and limited oxygen breathing has been used in some initial studies to assess the magnitude of the potential benefit.

  The goats are closely monitored for several hours after the experiment for signs of decompression illness. Concentration of various blood constituents may be monitored. A small number of animals have had minor surgery to reduce the trauma or stress involved in collecting an arterial blood sample. In addition the animals may be sedated to further reduce their discomfort. Some goats have also been sedated prior to magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in order to detect sub-clinical effects of repeat pressure exposures.

  The details of the experiments over the last 12 months are as follows:
  720

  Month

  Number of goats

  Experiment type

  April 1999

  0

  —

  March 1999

  18

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging

  February 1999

  18

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging

  January 1999

  8

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging

  January 1999

  9

  Rescue type exposure, decompression to surface

  December 1998

  4

  Escape type exposure, arterial blood samples taken

  November 1998

  16

  Escape type exposure

  October 1998

  26

  Escape type exposure

  September 1998

  12

  Oxygen breathing prior to surfacing; Escape type exposure

  September 1998

  5

  Rescue type exposure, decompression to surface

  August 1998

  12

  Oxygen breathing prior to surfacing; Escape type exposure

  August 1998

  5

  Rescue type exposure, straight decompression to surface

  July 1998

  0

  —

  June 1998

  0

  —

  May 1998

  0

  —

  In addition to these experiments, the following familiarisation and acquaint procedures were carried out:

  June 1998: 6 Goats

  August 1998: 7 Goats

  March 1999: 9 Goats

  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 24 March 1999,Official Report, columns 307–08, how many goats have died in experiments at the Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory in each of the last 12 months. [81634]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 23 April 1999:

  I have been asked to reply to your question about the former Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory (RNPL) which is now part of the Centre for Human Sciences (CHS) Sector of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).

  You asked for details about the number of goats that have died in experiments in the last 12 months in DERA's research programme to determine the pressure and time limits for the safe escape of Navy personnel from a sunken submarine.

  Animals that demonstrate mild or moderate symptoms of decompression illness during any experiment are treated in the same way as humans, with oxygen and recompression therapy. Where sympton are such that recompression therapy would be unlikely to effect a complete recovery, the animal is humanely killed. The number of goats humanely killed in each of the last 12 months is as follows:

  Year/month

  Number of goats humanely killed at end of experiment

  1999

  April

  0

  March

  0

  February

  0

  January

  9

  1998

  December

  2

  November

  4

  October

  0

  721

  Year/month

  Number of goats humanely killed at end of experiment

  September

  2

  August

  1

  July

  0

  June

  0

  May

  0

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 24 March 1999, Official Report, columns 307–08, how many goats have been injured before undergoing experiments at the Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory in the last 12 months; and what anaesthetics are administered to goats before experiments take place. [81635]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 23 April 1999:

  I have been asked to reply to your question about the former Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory (RNPL) which is now part of the Centre for Human Sciences (CHS) Sector of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).

  You asked for details about the treatment of the goats used in DERA's research programme to determine the pressure and time limits for the safe escape of Navy personnel from a sunken submarine.

  No goats are injured before undergoing experiments at DERA's CHS.

  With regard to the anaesthetics used on the goats, prior to magnetic resonance imaging where the goats have to be kept absolutely still, they are sedated with a combination of the sedative, Domitor and the analgesic Torbugesic. Magnetic resonance imaging is not a painful process but the analgesic brings about a more profound level of sedation when combined with Domitor. Lignocaine is used as a local anaesthetic prior to arterial cannulation for blood sampling.

  General anaesthesia is not used on the goats in the DERA research programme itself. However, animals prepared surgically for arterial blood sampling receive halothane/oxygen/nitrous oxide.

  I hope this information is helpful.

  Personal Protection Weapons (Northern Ireland)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what legal authority his Department may issue personal protection weapons in Northern Ireland; what safeguards prevent the misuse of such weapons; and how many such weapons have been reported (i) missing and (ii) stolen in the last five years. [81138]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 21 April 1999]: Members of the armed forces are entitled to bear firearms and ammunition, without a firearm certificate, under exemptions from firearms legislation. Should Service personnel wish to hold a firearm for a private purpose, however, they must obtain a firearms certificate.

  The Army has in place a comprehensive range of procedures designed to prevent misuse of personal protection weapons (PPWs) issued by the Ministry of Defence in Northern Ireland.
  722
  The stringent application and approval process takes into account the actual risk to a solder, his/her personal circumstances and general conduct, and advice from the Royal Ulster Constabulary. PPWs are issued only to soldiers who are considered likely to be at risk and there is no automatic entitlement for any category of soldier.

  All soldiers with PPWs are given a full briefing concerning security. They also receive handling instruction and live firing practice before issue of the weapon, and at four monthly intervals thereafter.

  Any changes to the circumstances of the PPW issue or to the conditions on which they are held must be recorded and approved by the individuals Commanding Officer. Commanding Officers also review bi-annually the issue of PPWs to soldiers under their command.

  In total, over the last five years, only one Army issue PPW has been reported as missing and five as stolen.

  Building and Property Group
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what security vetting is undertaken of staff employed by Building and Property Group Ltd. and their sub-contractors operating at his Department's establishments. [80044]

  Mr. Spellar
  [pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1999, c. 240]: I regret the answer given was incorrect. My reply should have read
  "BPD Ltd. were responsible for security vetting their own staff until last year, when their List X status was removed. The firm continues to carry out Basic Checks for its own staff, but more detailed checks are required before unescorted access to HMNB is allowed. These are carried out by the Defence Vetting Agency, and passes are issued by HMNB on the basis of these checks."

  Exercise Dimming Sun
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which dates the nuclear weapon exercise Dimming Sun will be held; which Government departments and organisations will be taking part in this exercise; whether the media will be invited to the exercise; and what will be the scenario of the exercise. [80826]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  It is planned to held Exercise DIMMING SUN between 14 to 18 June 1999. It is a joint UK/US nuclear weapon accident exercise, which will test the procedures in place for responding to the logistic movement of US nuclear weapons. Local authorities and emergency services in Norfolk will be participating in this exercise alongside response forces from the Ministry of Defence, the US Government, and other relevant UK Government Departments and organisations. It is also planned that a media briefing will be held to announce details before the exercise.

  Tours of Duty
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he intends to modify the Strategic Defence Review assumptions concerning the length of tours of duty on operations.[81662]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 22 April 1999]: No.

  Naval Deployment
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current proportion of the(a) Royal Navy and (b) RN Fleet, (i) committed and (ii) warned to deploy for operations. [81666]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 22 April 1999]: As at 19 April 1999, 55 per cent. of available RN ships (excluding those in long-term maintenance), submarines and supporting Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels were deployed on operations. In staffing terms, this represents about 15 per cent. of the total trained strength of the Royal Navy and approximately 25 per cent. of the RFA. All other RN units are available for deployment at various periods of notice, depending on their readiness states.

  Air Force Deployment
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current proportion of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force deployed on operations. [81661]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 22 April 1999]: Around one and a half per cent. of Royal Auxiliary Air Force personnel are currently deployed on operations.

  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current proportion of the(a) RAF and (b) RAF Strike Command, (i) committed and (ii) warned to deploy for operations. [81667]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 22 April 1999]: Approximately 6 per cent. of the trained strength of the RAF and 8 per cent. of Strike Command's trained strength is currently deployed on operations. Approximately 13 per cent. of RAF personnel and 16 per cent. of Strike Command personnel are warned to deploy.

  Date established

  Number of staff

  Budget 1999–2000 (£000)

  Australia

  1989

  2

  102.8

  Brunei

  1995

  2

  103.6

  Germany

  1991

  14

  296.7

  India

  1984

  5

  138.6

  Indonesia

  1991

  3

  80.0

  Kuwait1

  1988

  9

  156.4

  Malaysia

  1986

  4.5

  131.1

  Philippines

  1997

  3

  106.7

  Qatar

  1998

  2

  114.1

  Saudi Arabia2

  1985

  59

  0

  South Korea

  1988

  2

  147.9

  Turkey

  1988

  1

  92.7

  1 Six staff are employed in the Kuwait Programme Office and are funded by the customer

  2 59 staff are employed on the Al Yamamah programme and are funded by the customer

HEALTH

  Liver Disease
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to provide increased funding for the national liver units. [81632]

  Mr. Hutton
  Each year all units designated by the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group, which include the liver transplant units and the specialised paediatric liver disease units, apply for the funding they require for the following year. Units can include requests
  724
  The figures represent personnel deployed away from their parent station and, as such, do not account for personnel supporting operations from their normal station, such as those at RAF Bruggen. Similarly, the figures do not include personnel working at Strike Command or Group Headquarters who are involved as part of their normal tasks in planning activity in support of operations.

  Army Deployment
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the Army's(a) divisional and (b) brigade headquarters are (i) committed to operations and (ii) warned to deploy for operations. [81669]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 22 April 1999]: The information requested is as follows:

  Committed to Operations

  Warned to deploy on operations

  Divisional headquarters

  nil

  nil

  Brigade headquarters

  2

  2

  DESO Overseas Offices
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the overseas offices of the Defence Export Services Organisation are situated; when each office was established; how many staff are currently employed in each; and what is the budget for 1999–2000 for each. [81732]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 22 April 1999]: Details of overseas offices of the Defence Export Services Organisation are as follows:

  for additional funding to cover increases in activity and service developments. We take into account the recommendations of the Advisory Group when considering funding levels for the national specialist services.

  The current allocation is £29.5 million for the liver transplant service and £4.7 million for the specialised paediatric liver service. Over £1 million of additional funding has been agreed for developments in these services in 1999–2000, which includes funding for 20 additional paediatric liver transplants.

  Secure Units
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirements are placed on local authorities to monitor and record the ethnic origins of those held in secure units. [81895]

  Mr. Hutton
  Under the Children Act 1989, the local authority responsible for a looked-after child in a secure unit should ensure details of racial origin, culture and linguistic background are recorded and stored. Secure units are required to record and provide ethnic data to the social services inspectorate in advance of inspections.

  Dentistry
  Mr. Lock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in the Wyre Forest constituency area are taking new registrations of NHS patients. [81892]

  Mr. Denham
  Although there are dentists undertaking National Health Service work, their lists are full and therefore no dentists in the Wyre Forest constituency are currently accepting new NHS patients. The health authority is able to direct patients to dentists in neighbouring areas who are still accepting NHS patients. Emergency pain relief clinics are run in Kidderminster and Worcester. Worcestershire Health Authority has recently submitted a personal dental services pilot for consideration that is intended to tackle local problems of access to a dentist.

  Food Standards Agency
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to(a) hospitals and (b) other NHS bodies of implementing the charges for the proposed Food Standards Agency. [81795]

  Mr. Hutton
  No such estimate has been made. Under the Government's proposals, food retail and catering businesses in hospitals and other National Health Service bodies will be liable for the levy if they are required to register with their local authority under the Food Premises (Registration) Regulations 1991, as amended in 1997. We received a large response to public consultation on the draft legislation and proposals for a levy scheme. We will introduce a Bill this session if time is available.

TREASURY

  Carbon Emissions
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the basis of the Government's estimate that the climate change levy at the proposed indicative levels will reduce carbon emissions by 1.5 million tonnes per annum. [79350]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 30 March 1999]: As indicated in table 5.1 of 1999 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report, the estimate of the reduction in carbon emissions resulting from the climate change levy was based on calculations made using the Department of Trade and Industry energy model.

  Environmental Taxation
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy on environmental taxation; and if he will make a statement. [78410]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 25 March 1999]: The Government's Statement of Intent on Environmental Taxation published in July 1997, sets out the Government's policy on environmental taxation. It commits the Government to exploring the scope for using the tax system—as one instrument, in combination with others like regulation and voluntary action—to secure environmental objectives, and details the criteria used to assess environmental taxes.

  The 1999 Budget contained the biggest package of environmental tax reforms ever announced in this country. This will provide continuing incentives for environmental improvement and underlines the Government's commitment to protect and, where possible, enhance our environment.

  Details of the Budget 99 environmental tax package are contained in the 1999 Economic and Financial Strategy Review and Financial Statement and Budget Report.

  Computers (Taxable Benefit)
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of employees charged income tax on any taxable benefit arising from the provision of computer equipment by an employer in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [81707]

  Ms Hewitt
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Professional Statisticians
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff who have worked as professional statisticians in his Department have left on early retirement in each of the past 10 years; [81182]

  (2) how many staff by grade are employed as professional statisticians in his Department; how many of these staff have been accepted as fast stream by the Civil Service Selection Board; and how many have been granted chartered statistician status by the Royal Statistical Society. [81202]

  Ms Hewitt
  Statistical work is undertaken by a range of specialists such as Research Officers and Social Survey Officers, as well as Statisticians. The following number of professional Statisticians, all of whom have been recruited via the Civil Service Selection Board, are employed in the Departments and Agencies responsible to the Chancellor of the Exchequer:

  Office for National Statistics: 123

  Treasury: 22

  Customs and Excise: 9

  Inland Revenue: 21

  727
  In addition, the following number of Statistical Officers are employed:

  Office for National Statistics: 8

  Customs and Excise: 8

  Treasury: 1

  Inland Revenue: 1

  It is not known how many professional Statisticians have been granted Chartered status by the Royal Statistical Society. This information is not recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  In the last ten years, the following number of professional Statisticians have left on early retirement:

  Office for National Statistics: 23

  Customs and Excise: 2

  Treasury: 2

  Inland Revenue: 1

  Euro
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what staff have been tasked to monitor progress in passing the five economic tests for joining the euro. [81736]

  Ms Hewitt
  As the Prime Minister explained to the hon. Member on 13 April 1999,Official Report, column 2, the Treasury is the Department responsible for economic and monetary union issues.

  Treaty of Amsterdam
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each of the new responsibilities which he will assume when the signed Treaty of. Amsterdam takes effect and for each(a) the likely effect on departmental staffing, (b) the bodies or persons in the European Union principally concerned and (c) the relevant section of that treaty and the consolidated treaties of the European Union and European Community. [80407]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Treaty of Amsterdam will have minimal impact on the responsibilities of the Department and its staffing.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Public Interest Immunity Certificates he has signed since coming into office. [81446]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  [holding answer 20 April 1999]: Since 1 May 1997, I have signed two Public Interest Immunity Certificates. Both certificates were to protect the operations of the intelligence agencies for which I am responsible and were within the criteria agreed in the light of the recommendations of the Scott Inquiry.

  In addition, one certificate was signed by another Foreign Office Minister, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean.

  Devolution Concordat
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions(a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department have held with (i) the Scottish Office and (ii) the Welsh Office on the drawing up of a concordat governing arrangements by which the (1) Scottish Parliament, (2) National Assembly for Wales and (3) Northern Ireland Assembly may make representations to overseas Governments. [81893]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The UK Government will continue to be responsible for international relations after devolution. We recognise that there will be areas within their devolved responsibilities in which the devolved administrations will none the less have interests involving other countries. FCO officials have worked with officials of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices on draft Concordats on international relations which will be put to the devolved administration when they take office. Ministers have been kept fully informed of the progress of these discussions.

WALES

  Euro Task Force
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he had made of the cost to date to public funds of the Euro Task Force for Wales. [80084]

  Mr. Michael
  All members of the Task Force give their time free. Members are permitted to claim out of pocket expenses for attending meetings, but to date none has done so.

  As at 31 March 1999, the Task Force's euro awareness activities incurred a direct cost of £9,256 to public funds.

  Noise (Trunk Roads)
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what assessment he has made of the problem of noise to residents from the A449 trunk road near Llanishen in Monmouthshire; [81348]

  (2) when he proposes to publish revised criteria for noise mitigation measures on existing trunk roads. [81349]

  Mr. Hain
  No noise assessment has been undertaken in Llanishen, Monmouthshire. A preliminary analysis of the noise levels from the A449 at Llandenny, immediately adjacent to the road, indicated that it would not meet the noise mitigation criteria announced recently for England. I announced on 23 March 1999,Official Report, columns 126–27, that we would be extending this analysis of noise levels adjacent to the trunk road network in Wales and considering the scope for adapting the criteria to meet specific Welsh circumstances. This review will take some six to nine months to complete.

  Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.

  Professional Statisticians
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff who have worked as professional statisticians in his Department have left on early retirement in each of the past 10 years. [81180]

  Mr. Michael
  None.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff by grade are employed as professional statisticians in his Department; how many of these staff have been accepted as fast stream by the Civil Service Selection Board; and how many have been granted chartered statistician status by the Royal Statistical Society. [81192]

  Mr. Michael
  Twenty-five Welsh Office staff are currently employed as professional statisticians. The numbers by grade are:

  Grade

  Number

  Senior Civil Service

  1

  Grade 6

  2

  Grade 7

  14

  Assistant Statistician

  8

  All the Assistant Statisticians were appointed through the Civil Service Selection Board (CSSB) and are regarded as being in a fast stream training grade. More senior grades are not designated as fast stream, or otherwise, but most of the statisticians in these grades joined the Statistician Group through CSSB. Two are Royal Statistical Society chartered statisticians.

  National Assembly
  Ms Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the directions setting the pay and allowances of members of the National Assembly for Wales. [82304]

  Mr. Hain
  I have today put copies of The National Assembly for Wales (Assembly Members) (Salaries) Direction 1999, The National Assembly for Wales (Assembly Members) (Allowances) Direction 1999 and The National Assembly for Wales (Assembly Members) (Resettlement Grants) Direction 1999 in the Libraries of the House.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions(a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department have held with the DTI concerning the drawing up of a concordat governing arrangements for encouraging inward investment to different parts of the United Kingdom. [81894]

  Mr. Michael
  There are on-going discussions on this matter, involving both Ministers and officials. The concordat is one of a number of concordats which will be discussed and concluded between United Kingdom Government Departments and the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland once they are established.

  Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.